Harmony

Feeling very grateful this evening reflecting upon this current adventure of renewal that I am blessed to be on at the moment. The true beauty of it is the realization of the community that I have to share it with. I spoke with a friend tonight about the gratitude and excitement we have for our church and religion, and thought it was wonderful that we were experiencing the same sentiment sitting in different states and different churches.

Today I took a class on Universal Law at the A.R.E. It was really interesting listening to so many different perspectives from people from so many different backgrounds, religions, philosophical beliefs and levels of spiritual exploration/introspection. It reminded me of the years of classes I’ve taken in Swampscott both formally and through conversations with friends, members, and visitors. As I sat in the local spiritualist church this evening and observed a wonderful demonstration of evidential spirit communication and inspirational speaking, universal law was brought up again. I marveled at the symmetry of the messages of the day, but even moreso by the fact that I was blessed to find such a community almost six years ago now that helped me begin to apply the laws of oneness, karma , attraction, and grace to create a calmer, more peaceful, joyous, love filled life for myself. I am also grateful that those same people have stuck by me in the times that I have forgotten my spiritual self and succumbed to the material me. Though I wish that I could keep that more permanent connection to my soul self, I have to admit that each time, I need to start over and get back to basics I have an even richer experience, whether it be the actual experience I am having at the time, or by the remembrance of the start of my journey into spiritualism.

Anytime you take another step on your spiritual path is the right time, whether it be through a formal spiritual or religious path or a general recognition of being a spiritual being living this physical experience. I have met people at the A.R.E. from the ages of 16 to 90. The awesome thing is that no matter what age you start the big questions are usually the same. The answers are often different, at least at the beginning. Today we spoke a lot about karma. We were talking about the idea of karma created on Earth needing to be dealt with on Earth, but not in the form of an Eye for an Eye, but through forgiveness and letting go. We talked about the difficulty both in the minor day to day things, but especially on the higher level of the atrocities that we see far too often. Some things seem too horrible to forgive. We discussed the concept of loving indifference, and how forgiveness is not the same as condoning action. If we choose to hold onto hate we only end up hurting ourselves and others.

By practicing loving indifference and letting go, the focus returns on higher vibrational ideals such as love, reducing the need to continue the karmic cycles here on the earthplane, unless by choice. We also spoke of the idea that clearing karma is not necessarily about escaping the earthplane, but actually of spiritualizing the Earth making the veil between the two worlds even thinner, or obsolete, so that we can realize the ability of constant connection to spirit, and that we truly are spirit. I can’t do what I am learning, and being reminded of, justice through a few paragraphs. I guess what I really want to say is that people come from all over the world to the A.R.E. to gather with like-minded individuals who are questioning, seeking, and sharing. It, along with the Memorial Spiritualist Church are the two places here that are like home away from home for me here. They are places that feel safe and not foreign. I am so grateful they are here, so that I can learn more, but also because they remind me of the goldmine I have at home in my family, friends, and church. I don’t need to travel across the world to find a few people that can understand where I am coming from. I have it every day.

I love the fact that the morning church service here ends at the same time as the Swampscott Church, and that although the rest of the songs we sing at service are different, that the closing song is the same, and that benediction is at the same time. The thought that we are singing in unison(ok, well if you have been to either church, maybe you know that it may not be truly in unison…LOL), and that we are praying at the same time, makes me believe that we truly are connecting at that time and that separation really is just illusion.

Week 3 Overview

Classes: Angels, Lore and Legends, Universal Law
Movies: Adjustment Bureau: Nice love story, thought provoking, but with holes. Enjoyed it though!
Weight/health: 5 more pounds for a total of 13.5. Experimenting with new foods/exercise program. Blood sugars continue to improve.
New affirmation: "I am an invulnerable child of God." Try it if it resonates. The feeling is unbelievable.
Highlights of week:Great conversations and emails with friends from home, phenomenal! Thanks guys! Love you!

A Labyrinth is Not a Maze

A Labyrinth is Not a Maze



Anyone who has been on a Labyrinth adventure with me, is probably laughing because somehow anytime I’ve walked a labyrinth, I’ve always gotten off track. A labyrinth has a definite path that can be followed, and they are often helpful for meditation, focus, and contemplation. Anytime I attempted one though, either through distraction, or stepping off the path to let someone else walk by, I found myself crossing an area I already went through before reaching the center, realizing that somewhere along the line, I had seemingly made a mistake. I’ve thought about this a lot since my last update.



After writing my blog last week that I labeled “Chaos and Harmony”, I found it interesting that “chaos” was one of the key topics in a class I took that afternoon at the A.R.E. The title of the class was “Mind is the Builder”. This came from some of the recurring themes in the Cayce readings, being “Spirit is the life. Mind is the builder. Physical is the result.” We discussed the law of attraction, and manifesting, along with the mind, body, spirit connection on both physical and esoteric levels. A large part of the conversation though was about how chaos actually gives us the opportunity to elevate our stress threshold and grow spiritually. Though I don’t advocate seeking out or attracting drama in order to grow, it did make me reflect upon my experience upon arrival in Virginia. Before I left home, people would ask me about my goals for while I was away and what I wanted to accomplish before coming home, and I kept saying that I wanted to come back stronger. Now I felt in saying it, that I wanted to come back physically healthier and stronger, but I think the deeper part of me must have meant it on a much broader level. As my family and friends know, I don’t have much of an issue arguing with those I am really close to and love and trust the most(lucky them L ), but I have often held back from confrontation in most other areas, even when it meant not sticking up for myself, or even really putting myself down. The situations that occurred upon my arrival gave me the opportunity to speak up for myself, as I was the only one that was going to do it. Often times in the past, others would step in on my behalf, feeling I would shy away from defending myself or advocating for myself. Here it was only me. It wasn’t necessarily comfortable, but it was a step towards growth. Although I can still review and see that I could maybe have chosen some words differently to handle situations, the feeling was still better than had I let myself be taken advantage of, and I have tools to help me be able to respond to future situations in a more capable way. In effect, the universe had answered my request to move forward, whether I realized I had dialed or not. That is the perfection.



Coming back to the labyrinth, my recent opportunity for observation has allowed me to contemplate my path of life has corresponded with my labyrinth experiences. I often have many interests, and also sometimes get caught up in other’s interests. Sometimes I step off my set road to seek something else that intrigues me in the distance, sometimes I step back for someone else whether it be for selfless reasons or admittedly many times-selfish indulgence, sometimes fear, sometimes excitement. In the end though I have always found a way through the labyrinth, either by getting back on the path and completing it, skipping out, or starting over.



There is a labyrinth at the Cayce Center, and my first few attempts were cut short as I wandered off the path, or moved over for someone crossing, and found myself on an alternate route. I found this frustrating because I just wanted to finish, for once without having to start over, or giving up.



In class we also spoke about programs that we have running in our lives, either from past life experiences that our souls have carried over, or programs/beliefs that are taught to us as children, or that we create through previous consequences of our actions or inactions. We also spoke about how we have a choice to reprogram our thoughts and beliefs, and to let go of that which no longer serves our overall growth. I thought about how quite literally my first remembrances of labyrinths were from movies and stories where the labyrinths were actually mazes, often with frightening obstacles and tricks along the way, trying to distract those who were journeying through. When I next went to walk the labyrinth at the A.R.E. I reminded myself of the reality of the clarity of the path, that I only had to take one step at a time and I would make it through. I did not have to run the same program that had been previously running. I also reminded myself of the beauty, and of all that I had learned the many times I did stray from the path in life, and that there need be no guilt if I had to take a few extra steps, or start over. I took a breath, stepped in, and minutes later found myself in the center of the labyrinth with the beautifully painted dolphins forming the shape of the Yin Yang symbol, all excited I made it through.



On the way out, a couple had entered the path. It is close quarters, so you do need to step aside for one another, and often find yourself walking right next to one another as the paths wind side by side. I started to feel the nervousness build up. Being my size, I often feel in the way. It is common courtesy to step aside for people, but as often happened in the past, instead of stepping aside, I would walk away. I stepped aside to allow the couple to go by when we were crossing exact paths, but as we wound around side by side, though sometimes the closeness felt a little awkward, I was reminded that I chose that path, and somewhere along the line they chose to be along side me for that small part of our journey, and it was safe and ok for all of us to have that experience together. Minutes later, I successfully exited the labyrinth, took a grateful breath and took the next step on the larger path.



Yes, it probably sounds like I have a little too much time to spend in my head J. But in truth, it has been helpful to realize that times spent experimenting whether it be in hobbies, school, jobs, diet, philosophy, religion, lifestyles, hair colors ;) are not lost, they are experiences to learn from, and when you find what works, what fulfills you and brings you peace and joy and strength, it is also ok to allow yourself, encourage yourself even, to spend some extra time on that path. That is where I am at now: Grateful for the time to explore, grateful for the family of both family and friends, teachers, and Spirit who back me up, inspire me, lift me or ground me. Thanks for being beside me through the peace of the labyrinth, the questioning of the maze, and the placidness of those exquisite moments when we recognize the spirit in each other.





Week 2 Overiview



Feeling more comfortable.

Continuing daily meditation, though finding it sometimes takes longer to get to alpha than before.

Classes: Always Young, Reincarnation Unnecessary?, Meditation

Movies: The Fighter, both heartbreaking at times and truly inspiring, Unknown-Keeps your interest, Gnomeo & Juliet-sweet and fun, Big Momma- laughs, but enjoyed the musical aspect of it more, Hall Pass- Some crazy laughing out loud-though mostly bathroom humor, mixed with serious issues.

Books: Started Harbinger of Health by Andrew Jackson Davis. I am fascinated by the amount of information on all aspects of health and natural laws. I find it really interesting that it took me coming here to get this excited about one of the founders of modern Spiritualism. Extremely grateful to have found this book and window into this aspect of his work.

Delving deeper into the Cayce readings, comparing health info with that which came through AJD.

Enjoying Memorial Spiritualist Church.

Weight/Health: Down 6 more pounds. Continued Western Yoga, but have not ventured into Eastern yet, started weight training, continued daily cardio, working with Alkaline diet, blood sugars improving exponentially. Climbed Mt. Trashmore.